The intersection of Sports & Islam

VIDEO: Mohamed Salah has skills

Mohamed Salah hasn’t had a lot of success since his landmark move from Basel of the Swiss Super League to Chelsea of the English Premier League in January 2014. It’s not even that Salah — the first Egyptian player to sign with Chelsea and a practicing Muslim who often celebrates his goals by prostrating to Allah (SWT) — hasn’t played well; it’s that he barely plays. In Chelsea’s 17 total matches this season (Premier League, League Cup and Champions League), Salah has appeared in just five, and he’s played in just two of the team’s 11 Premier League matches. It’s gotten to the point where the rumor mill is churning with stories that Salah might be sent away from Chelsea before even playing a full season with the squad.

But there’s a reason Salah was such a sought-after talent in the first place and commanded a reported $17.2 million transfer fee. He is, as you can see in the highlight clip below, one of the most skilled soccer players in the world:

I like these soccer highlight clips on YouTube because many of them go beyond just the plays that result in goals. We’ve become such a results-oriented society, especially in America, that people lose sight of the beauty of the process. I’ve noticed that international soccer fans have a greater appreciation for skills and will give due to a “highlight” play that may directly lead to points on the board, such as the crossover move Salah pulls out at the 59-second mark of the above video. Imagine if “SportsCenter” showed those kind of highlights instead of only the touchdowns, buckets and home runs.